Shelf fixtures



March 18, 1958 FABER 2,327,254

SHELF FIXTURES Filed Jan. 13, 1953,

. cl V. w w m w w H r F m k i\ l INVENTOR. 5AI1UEL 5 FABER HTTORNEY nitcd States Patent SHELF FIXTURES Samuel S. Faber, Queens, N. Y.

Application January 13, 1953, Serial No. 330,965

Claims. (Cl. 243-243).

This invention relates toshelft fixtures, and more particularly to a novel standard for use. with adjustable wall brackets. The instant invention is. adapted to be used primarily in show cases and store fixtures although it may be utilized anywhere else that adjustable shelf brackets are employed, for. example, in private. residences.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a standard of the character described whose length is quickly and easily adjustable whereby to avoid the present practice of manufacturing. and storing a large number of stock lengths ranging in six inch increments from one foot upwardly.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an adjustable standard which has. few and simple parts.

More specifically it is an object of. the present invention to provide a standard of the character described Whichconstitutes several joined stock elements of very few standard sizes.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a standard of the character described which simplifies packing, storing, and shipping by eliminating all elements longer than about a foot.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a standard of the character described which is rugged and durable.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a standard of thecharacter described'whichis simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

It is another object of the presentinvention to provide a standard of the character described which despite the use of several elements is essentially easy to install and automatically willalignthe elements.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

My invention accordingly consists in. the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements ofrparts which willbe exemplified in the standards hereinafter described and of which the scopeof application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the. accompanying drawings inwhich are shown various possible embodiments of the inventiom...

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a standard constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front v-iew of the said st'andard as it appears in use;

Fig. 3 is anenlarged sectionalview taken substantially along the line 33 of Fig.2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the lines 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentaryexploded perspective view of astandard embodying a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical side-to-side view of the standard shown in Fig. 5; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are views similar toFigs. 5 and 6 of a standard embodying another modified form of the invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1-'4,the reference numeral 10 dewords, instead of using, for instance, a six foot standardin one piece as heretofore where a length of six feet is required or a three foot standard in one piece where a length of three feet is required, short elements 12 six inches or twelve inch s long are, pursuant to the instant invention, interlocked end-to-end so that by use of a proper number of elements a standard of the desired length can be produced. This is of substantial economic importance because it permits the manufacture of a minimum number (one or two) of different length stock elements from which a great number of differently sized standards may be constructed. It not only simplifies and reduces the cost of manufacture but also by stand-ardization facilitates packing, storing and shipping.

Each element is of U-shaped transverse configuration including a front wall 14 and two side walls 16 at right angles thereto. The front wall has a linear series of suitably shaped, e. g. keyhole, openings 18 adapted to re ceive conventionally cooperating pins of a shelf bracket (not shown). Also provided on the front wall are circular holes Zti. adapted to receive the shanks of screws 22 for attaching the standard to a vertical support.

In pursuance of the invention each element 12 is provided at the opposite ends thereof with different halves of adetachable .interengaging means. For this purpose in the preferred form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-4, each element is formed with a horizontal slot 24 near,

i. e. spaced a short distance from, the bottom of the olement. The slot is less than the full width. of the front wall and the ends of the slot are spaced a short distance Said slot constitutes one half of the it extends and comprises a U-shaped member 28 which extends upwardly and rearwardly from the top of the element and then forwardly to terminate in a toe 3d. The toe is narrower thanthe width of the body of the hook whereby to provide shoulders 32. These. shoulders define a toe whose height (from base to tip) is substantially equal to and preferably does not exceed the thickness of the front wall 14. The toe is located as far above the top of an element as the slot is above the bottom of the element. The toes andslots are of like breadth and are positioned in like manner with respect to the side walls so that a slot of any given element willsnugly receive a toe of the element beneath it when the elements are arranged in end-toend abutment.

Elements are coupled'by cocking a lower element, sliding the hook thereof underneath the open bottom of an upper element, inserting the tip of the hook in.

the slot and then straightening the lower element. This will cause the two elements to be exactly aligned. Moreover, since the length of a toe does not-exceed the thickness of the front wall of an element, the toe will not protrude into an area where merchandise may be located.

Preferably all of the elements are identical in shape, dimensions and construction except for the fact as noted hereinabove two different lengths of standards andfele ments desirably are employed.

A standard is assembled by coupling the desired number of elements. The uppermost element is placed in a predetermined position and held in place as with the pair of screws 22. Thereafter the next lower element is interlocked with the uppermost element and held in place with only a single screw. Subsequent elements are cou pled and held in place in the same manner with a single screw apiece. This particular method of assembly is mentioned inasmuch as it illustrates how despite the fact that several elements are employed, it is not necessary for the installer to do an unusual amount of work. in a typical installation employing a one piece standard it is necessary to employ several screws, and when using standards embodying the present invention only about the same number of screws need be utilized due to the fact that by using the interlocking means hereinabove described only a single screw is needed to hold any element in place except the uppermost element. The interlocking means furthermore secures an exact alignment of the successive elements so that despite the fact that many elements may be used the lowermost element will be in line with the uppermost element.

Owing to the use of standardized elements such as described, the uppermost element will have an unattractive hook protruding from its tip. Suitable means may be employed to conceal such hook. This means may constitute a cap 34 which is closed at its top, front and sides and is open at its bottom and back. The front of the cap is provided with a slot 36 positioned to receive the toe of the hook of the uppermost element.

In Figs. and 6 there is shown a standard 38 which is identical to the standard except for the specific form of the detachable interengaging means. Said standard comprises a plurality of short slender elements 4% which, like the elements 12, are U-shaped and open at the backs, tops and bottoms. Each element includes a hook 42 comprising a] inturned base 44 having an upwardly extending leg 46 parallel to and integral with the side walls of the element 4t). A toe 48 protrudes laterally outwardly from the tip of the leg. The bottom of each element is fashioned with a pair of slots 50 each running forwardly from the rear edge of a dilterent one of the side walls. Said slots are positioned to receive the toes 48 when the elements are coupled. Coupling is performed simply by resting the bottom of one element on the top of the element beneath it with the upper element displaced forwardly and then sliding the upper element rearwardly to engage the toes in the slots.

A cover for the elements 40 is provided with slots similar to the slots 50.

In Figs. 7 and 8 there is shown another standard 52 which, like the standard 38, is identical to the standard 19 except for the detachable interengaging means. Said standard 52 comprises a plurality of short slender elements 54 of U-shaped transverse cross-section and open at the backs, tops and bottoms. Thus each element includes a front wall 56 with a pair of side walls 58 at right angles thereto. The top of each element is provided with a pair of inset hooks 60, one hook being integral with one of the side walls and the other hook with the other side wall. Each hook includes an inturned base 62 from which a hook 64 extends upwardly to terminute in a forwardly projecting toe 66. The legs are parallel to one another and to the side walls. The bottom of each element is formed with a pair of horizontally registered slots 68 extending through the front wall 56, each slot being disposed adjacent a dilferent side wall. The toes are as far above the top of the elements as the slots 63 are above the bottom of the elements and the hooks are set inwardly from the side walls as far as the slots, so that a pair of slots of any given element will be aligned with the toes of the element beneath it when the elements are arranged in end-to-end abutment. Desirably the hooks are inset a distance equal to the thickness of the side walls so that the hooks will snugly fit 4 between the side walls of the next succeeding element and thereby rigidify the standard. The bases of the toes are coplanar with the back of the front wall, thereby enabling adjacent elements to be aligned.

The cover for the elements 54 is provided with slots similar to the slots 68.

it thus will be seen that there are provided standards which achieve all the objects of the invention and are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments may be made of the above invention, and as various changes may be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense,

Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

l. For use in a shelf fixture, an elongated standard of vertically adjustable height, said standard being adapted to be secured to a vertical member and comprising a series of like interlockable vertically aligned elements in abutting end-to-end relationship, each said element being of uniform transverse cross-section and constituting a vertical front wall and opposed vertical side walls defining a rearwardly facing hollow, the same walls of the elements being in coplanar arrangement, said front wall having a series of vertically aligned openings therethrough for selective reception of the pins of a shelf bracket, each element having in one piece therewith one-half of an interlocking means at the top thereof and a mating half of an interlocking means at the bottom thereof, one of said halves constituting a through opening in a wall of the element at one end thereof, the other of said halves comprising a tongue integral with the element at the other end thereof and disposed in said hollow, said tongue including a base extending inwardly into the hollow from the wall in which the opening is located, an intermediate portion extending from the base parallel to the longitudinal axis of the standard, said intermediate portion protruding from the element with which the tongue is integral into the hollow of the next element and a toe at the free end of and in one piece with the intermediate portion and extending outwardly and snugly received in the opening at the end of the next element whereby the elements are locked to one another against relative axial and sidewise movement without the use of extraneous connecting means.

2. A standard, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tongues and openings are at the front walls of the elements.

3. A standard, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tongues and openings are at the side walls of the elements.

4. A standard, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tongues and elements are at both side walls of the elements.

5. A standard, as set forth in claim 4, wherein the openings are slots that extend to the rear edges of the side walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 526,448 Karschner Sept. 25, 1894 918,039 Grundrnan Apr. 13, 1909 1,038,198 Randall et al Sept. 10, 1912 1,261,363 Crist Apr. 2, 1918 1,265,044 Bruederly May 7, 1918' 1,563,799 Scherer Dec. 1, 1925 1,788,096 Friedman Jan. 6, 1931 2,654,487 Degener Oct. 6, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 281,702 Switzerland Mar. 31, 1952 989,495 France Sept. 10, 1951 

